Sports
Mayowa Paul, Oluwaseyi Haliyah Win Maiden Isale Eko/Ajeromi-Ifelodun Kids Marathon

The maiden edition of Isale Eko/Ajeromi-Ifelodun Kids Marathon flagged-off at Ajeromi-Ifelodun council secretariat in Ajegunle during the week .
The marathoners whose average age ranges from 12 to 16 years comprises of boys and girls from Isale-Eko in Lagos-Island and Ajegunle.
His Royal Majesty Oba Moroof Oyekunle Amodu-Tijani Oluwa (Amore III) who is the Olu of Iwa and Apapa kingdom was at the council secretariat to give words of encouragement to the boys and girls before the flag-off for the marathon.
The race commenced by 9:45am at the entrance of the Council secretariat in Ajeromi-Ifelodun, and the marathoners were seen jostling to outwit one another for the first spot.
The marathoners ran through Freedom Street and connected Orodu Street inward Aiyeke bridge to Amore Street. They navigated their run through Kirikiri road by Tolu Medical Centre off Tolu road before the kids ran significant length of Kirikiri road to New Road bus stop, and turning to Ojoku Street, and with the finish line at the entrance gate of Maracana and Tolu complex gate in Ojoku Street.
Mayowa Paul from Topfield College won the marathon race in the boys category with a return time of 12 minutes and 2 seconds.
Oluwaseyi Haliyah from Dolphin College in Lagos won the girls marathon race with a return time of 15 minutes and 2 seconds.
Speaking after the race, His Royal Majesty Oba Moroof Oyekunle Amodu-Tijani Oluwa ( Amore III) applauded the teenagers who participated at the event.
He urged them (the marathoners) to see the event as part of exercise for the improvement of their physical wellbeing.
Oba Oluwa also noted that the marathon can serve as an avenue for talent discovery towards global marathon sporting event in the future.
He commended Lagos State government for encouraging sports among the youths of Lagos.
Oba Oluwa also thanked the council chairman Ayoola Fatai Adekunle for his support towards the success of the kids marathon in Ajegunle.
Convener of the kids marathon Prince Adeola Masha Eshinlokun, said the event was successful despite being the maiden edition. He thanked Oba Oluwa for his support.
Director General of Sports Ajif Sports Council MacAnthony Anaelechukwu, commended the teenagers. He described their athletism as “fantastic and worthy’ of a disciplined athletes.
Representing the council chairman at the event; Mr. Adeyemi Supervisor for youths and sports, said the council chairman Ayoola, will continue to support development of sporting activities in the local government, adding that the kids performed beyond expectations.
Ambassador Isaac Omoyele chairman of National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) Ajif chapter, said the organisers must improve in the area of security and publicity, in order for residents to be aware of an event of such magnitude.
The kids marathon which has attracted interest from stakeholders lately had been described as a sporting event that should be held on a quarterly basis in Ajegunle.
Sports
Ohimain, Muse Highlight Benefits Of karate For All Ages Championship

Organisers of the just concluded one day ‘Karate For All Ages’ Championship said that the tournament enabled karatekers to horn their skills, improve their competition level as well as help coaches and instructors to access what they’ve taught their fighters.
The karate for all ages saw athletes in different age categories compete for honours in Kata and kumite, displaying exceptional skills
Kata and kumite are two fundamental components of karate training that are interrelated and support each other
The annual championship is for both male and female athletes
Organiser of the championship Ibrahim Muse while highlighting the importance of the championship said that it has helped in further development of the game noting that the large turnout of athletes, coaches and instructors is an evidence of it’s popularity and acceptability by all karate stakeholders in the country.
” We the organisers are happy that the number of participants keep on increasing every year and what the athletes learn at the end of every championship cannot be quantified because it enables them to compete in a friendly environment, watch the skills of others and note their areas of weakness and how to improve on their skills”, he stated.
The championship which is in its 7th edition, came to a successful end on Saturday, December14, 2024 at the Gymnasium Hall of the National Institute For Sports, Lagos and attracted more than 400 karatekers from various clubs.
Chief Instructor and member of Nigerian Association of Shotokan Karate, Sensei Alfred Ohimain said
the huge turn out of athletes is an indication that the championship is a household name in the country and they’ll continue to improve on the successes recorded over the years.
” Basically, the major reason why we organise this championship every year is to develop karatekas, give them enough opportunity to exhibit their skills and also give coaches and instructors enough opportunity to access what they’ve taught their athletes and I can tell you that we’re getting it right with the championship.
“As you can see, we have a very large turnout of athletes who are about 450 which is the biggest anywhere in the country. All the athletes who are of all ages, had the opportunity to participate in both Kate and kumitae and I can tell you that with this championship, we’ve succeeded in moving the sports forward in the country
Ohimain, a 7th Dan who also doubles as a board member of Karate Federation of Nigeria expressed appreciation to their sponsors for identifying with them even as he appealed for more sponsorship of Karate competitions to enable Nigerian athletes up their game and be at par with their counterparts from other parts of the world.
Meanwhile some of the athletes who participated in this year’s championship have commended the organisers for putting up a seamless competition.
A gold medalist, Azeez Abdulahi, who said this year is his second time of participating in the championship noted that the experience he garnered in last year’s edition propelled him to go for the gold medal.
” I was here last year but couldn’t make a podium finish but the good thing was that I learnt a lot and when I went back home, I improved on my skills which gave me gold this year. So, I must give kudos to the organisers for the exposure and opportunity to improve on our form which the competition has afforded us and I urge them to keep the flag flying as the championship has really changed the face of karate in the country.
In her own remarks, Miriam Tijani said that although she was not fortunate to win a medal but she commend the organisers for the amazing championship which she said afforded her the opportunity to learn new things about the techniques of the sports.
At the end of the championship, medals and certificates were awarded to participants in the various weight categories.
Sports
Tradional Sports Federation Of Nigeria Concludes Tugusmalacka Training In Lagos

Vice president, Traditional sports Federation of Nigeria Basheer-ud-dean Adetokunboh Agusto is optimistic of more laurels for the country at major competition
Augusto who led a team of male and female athletes to the just concluded world normad games held in astana where nigeria won a gold medal in Ayo olopon said nigeria would have won more laurels if they had travelled with more athletes
In readiness for the next edition of the nomad games which is an Olympic event for traditional sports billed for less than 2 years the federation during the week commenced training and workshop for Tugusmalacka sport which is similar to Ayo olopon
” The seminar is to introduce the Tugusmalacka to Nigerians, it is similar to Ayo olopo but different in the style of play. There is also plans to have a mini competition to know how well nigerian athletes have embraced the sport”
Both national coordinator Ayo traditional game in nigeria, Joshua ogunbiyi and head coach Lagos State traditional sports kassim oniga speak on the impact of the seminar ahead of next edition of the nomad games
The athletes commended the federation for the training and promised to keep flying the country’s flag higher
At the certificate were awarded to all participants
The World Nomad Games are an international sport competition dedicated to ethnic sports practiced in Central Asia.
The World Nomad Games have become a platform for demonstrating the cultural heritage, sports skills and traditional sports of nomadic nations, promoting the strengthening of cultural ties and mutual understanding between the peoples of different countries.
The next event in 2026 will likely head back to Kyrgyzstan, where the inaugural event began in 2014
Sports
Government Should Prioritize Investment In Sports-Varnavas Varnava

Renowned sports enthusiast, Varnavas Varnava, has urged the Nigerian Government to prioritize investments in athletes and sports development.
This call to action comes on the heels of the recent Olympic Games, where Nigerian athletes faced scrutiny for their shody performance and failure to win a single medal at the games
Varnava emphasized that Nigeria has a long way to go to qualify a d win laurels at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“Nigeria has to be represented correctly in the olympic games because what we saw at the Paris olympic game is not a correct Nigeria representation” he said
He stressed that the government needs to take the lead in injecting financial resources into the sports sector. By doing so, he assured that sponsors would be more likely to come on board, ultimately boosting the country’s sports development
” Talking about athletics, a lot of importance has to be here, you have the resources, you have the people, i think that the government has to start first then I’m sure many sponsors will come along to help.” he adds
By prioritizing investments in sports, Nigeria can unlock the potential of its athletes, improve its chances of qualifying for international competitions, and ultimately, bring pride and glory to the Nation.
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